


'til it leads you to the ones you love

by ace8013, and_hera



Series: when the radio lights came on [4]
Category: King Falls AM (Podcast)
Genre: Bad Cooking, Cookies, Cooking, F/M, Holidays, M/M, Shopping, barely betaed we die like men, not sponsored by monster energy drinks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:42:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26958259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ace8013/pseuds/ace8013, https://archiveofourown.org/users/and_hera/pseuds/and_hera
Summary: “Democracy is a sham,” Ben says stubbornly, “and you all are horrible.”“Love you, too,” Emily replies, grinning. He bumps her hip with the cart, and she laughs as they turn out of the aisle.Ben sighs and pulls a crumpled piece of notebook paper from his pocket. “I think we’ve almost got everything,” he says. “Just need some icing and we’re good to go.”or, it's the holiday season. The gang is making cookies.
Relationships: Ben Arnold & Sammy Stevens & Emily Potter & Lily Wright & Jack Wright, Ben Arnold/Emily Potter, Sammy Stevens & Jack Wright & Lily Wright, Sammy Stevens/Jack Wright
Series: when the radio lights came on [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1924438
Comments: 3
Kudos: 30





	'til it leads you to the ones you love

**Author's Note:**

> hello again we're BACK!  
> this fic is set after jack comes back (obviously) but before he and sammy get the chance to move out of ben's apartment!  
> also lily she/they truth! and they're all trans (except for sammy)!  
> thank u [theo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/commaperson/pseuds/commaperson) for betaing <3  
> title is from round and round by sia

“Ben,” Emily says, “I promise, we _really_ don’t need more sugar.”

“You said we were out,” Ben replies, putting a second bag into the cart. “And it’s not like sugar goes bad! It’ll be good to have some for the future.”

Emily laughs. “I guess,” she says, and he starts pushing the cart again. “You know, we came here for like, four things.”

“And we have them!” Ben replies. 

“Along with… other things,” Emily says, and she looks at the cart, which has quite a few more than four things. Sure, some of the stuff they _did_ need, like laundry detergent and dishwasher soap, but she knows they aren’t short on microwave popcorn.

Emily really shouldn’t know this. She doesn’t even live in the apartment, not technically. But at this point of her life, either Ben’s at her place or she’s at Ben’s. Since the… _incident_ , it’s been more of the former, but she still goes over to see everyone else.

“Look, the marshmallows were on sale, and it’s hot chocolate season,” Ben argues, even though Emily wasn’t complaining. “We’re actually _saving_ money, if you think about.”

“Uh-huh.” Ben grabs a pack of energy drinks off the shelf as he walks past it, and Emily immediately removes it from the cart and puts it back. He sticks his tongue out at her. 

“You have some at home,” Emily reminds him.

“Okay, _Mom_ ,” he shoots back. “You’re as bad as Sammy is!”

Emily opens her mouth in indignation. “Low blow,” she says, and Ben laughs. He grabs a single monster can, and she relents, not bothering to put it back.

“We’re here to get cookie ingredients,” Emily reminds him. “We are not here to shop. You and Jack are banned from shopping for the immediate future.”

Ben rolls his eyes. “We go shopping one time-”

“No, this was warranted,” Emily says. “You guys would get everything you didn’t need and get nothing from the actual list. We voted on it fairly.”

“Democracy is a sham,” Ben says stubbornly, “and you all are horrible.”

“Love you, too,” Emily replies, grinning. He bumps her hip with the cart, and she laughs as they turn out of the aisle. 

Ben sighs and pulls a crumpled piece of notebook paper from his pocket. “I think we’ve almost got everything,” he says. “Just need some icing and we’re good to go.”

Emily looks at the empty store around them, and she pokes Ben’s shoulder. “Hey,” she says, “do you want me to push you?”

Ben’s eyes widen, and he smiles in that patented Ben Arnold way. “Hell yeah,” he says excitedly, and before Emily can even help him he’s climbing into the cart, almost squishing their bags of flour and sugar. 

Emily checks one more time to see that no workers or other shoppers are around- there aren’t, it’s six-thirty in the morning because Emily’s an early riser and Ben’s amenable to whatever ideas Emily has, no matter the time- and she starts running, pushing Ben and the cart along.

He whoops, loudly, and Emily’s worried that someone will come stop them, but she laughs and keeps pushing him anyway, and once she sees an open lane past all the registers, she lets go, sending Ben flying down with all their groceries. He’s shrieking, now, and Emily’s still laughing, and oh God, that’s _totally_ a cashier standing at that register judging them.

Eventually, the cart slows to a stop, spinning just enough that Ben’s facing her. His cheeks are flushed and he’s giggling, chest shaking and hands gripping the sides as tight as he possibly can. Emily runs up to catch up with him.

“If we were smarter,” Ben says, once he’s caught his breath, “maybe we would have done this in the parking lot.”

Emily shrugs. “I mean, you’re less likely to scrape a knee inside.”

“I am prone to dumb injuries.”

“That you are, Benny!”

“Are we going to finish shopping now?”

Emily holds out her arms and practically lifts Ben out of the cart, plopping him back on the ground. He wobbles for a second, as if he’s dizzy. “I mean, that’s probably a good idea, if we want to get this all done by tonight.”

Ben leans up and kisses her. Emily will never get tired of kissing Ben, even if it’s in a Walmart at six-thirty in the morning and they’re both still a little too excited from running around with a shopping cart. “What was that for?” she asks when he eventually pulls away.

He shrugs. “I love you,” he says simply. Emily will never get tired of hearing Ben say that he loves her. “And I’m glad we’re making cookies together.”

Emily grins. “I’m glad we’re making cookies together, too,” she says. “Now, let's finish shopping and get back to your apartment before the… the traumatic trio? Before they burn the place down.”

* * *

“Yo!” Ben shouts as he shoves the door to the apartment open with his shoulder. “We’re back!”

Jack comes sliding into the hallway in his fuzzy socks and takes some of the grocery bags from Emily’s hands. “You guys got everything for the cookies?”

“That and more,” Emily says, rolling her eyes, but smiling fondly.

Jack sets the bags down on the table and starts sifting through them as Sammy joins them in the kitchen.

“Ooh!” Jack says quietly, pulling the monster energy Ben had grabbed out of a bag.

“Not for you,” Ben grabs the can out of his hand.

“Not for you either,” Sammy snarks, grabbing the can from Ben in turn and putting it on top of the fridge. Ben sticks his tongue out at Sammy. “What’s going on? Early morning shopping trip?” He points at Ben. “I thought we agreed you were banned from going to the store.”

“First of all, go fuck yourself,” Ben says. “Second of all, we’re making holiday cookies! Emily and I went to get ingredients.”

Jack nods, going to help Ben put the groceries away. “It sounds like fun.”

Sammy looks at Emily. “This is just code for you and I doing all the work while they get to decorate, isn’t it,” he says flatly.

Emily looks at Sammy, and then looks at Ben, who has employed Jack to grab the monster from the top of the fridge and is waiting expectantly for it. “Yeah, I think so,” she replies. “I’ve only ever seen Ben make microwaved chicken nuggets, and I think he burned them.”

“The extent of Jack’s skills in the kitchen is Kraft mac and cheese,” Sammy says. “And I’m positive Lily put a bag of Lay’s chips in the microwave once and set them on fire.”

Emily nods grimly. “We’ve got our work cut out for us,” she says.

“That we do,” Sammy says.

“I’m gonna wake Lily up,” Jack says, and he sounds far too cheerful for a man with that task ahead of him- Emily’s tried to wake her up before, and Lily gets homicidal when she’s trying to sleep.

Ben pops open his monster and takes a sip, some of it fizzing up on his upper lip. “Good idea,” he says sarcastically. “Make her put away the groceries. She’ll like that.”

Sammy gives Ben a _Disappointed Dad_ face. “That shit’s not good for you, Ben.”

“Sure makes me feel good,” Ben replies brightly.

“You’re gonna have a heart attack at twenty-seven, Ben! How could you leave Emily a widow?”

Emily laughs while Ben splutters. 

“We aren’t married, ass, that’s not how it works.” He rolled his eyes.

“I dunno, Benny,” Emily says, “I think I’d be pretty heartbroken if you died.” She draws a tear down her face with her finger.

Ben, face growing steadily more flushed, shouts down the hallway, “Jack, do you want the rest of my monster?”

“Yes!” Jack comes sliding back into the room.

“No,” Sammy chides, stepping between them, grabbing the can out of Ben’s hand before Jack could reach it. He takes a sip himself, and frowns at the taste. “This is disgusting, I’m gonna dump it.”

“Nooo,” Ben and Jack whine simultaneously. Jack puts his chin on Sammy’s shoulder and gives him a pleading look. “Please?”

Sammy rolls his eyes, but Emily knows that he’s a sucker for Jack, and he’ll probably give in eventually. “It’s too early in the morning for this,” he says, and hands the can to Emily instead. “Why can’t you two just have coffee like the rest of us?”

“Actually, I drink tea,” Emily points out.

Sammy sighs. “Whatever. It’s barely seven. I am begging you guys to stop this. Em, can you put it back on top of the fridge?”

“Sorry, Benny,” Emily says, and when she puts it on the fridge, she pushes it back as far as she can to try and stop Jack from grabbing it. “Maybe later!”

“You’re evil and I hate you,” Jack says fondly. Sammy gives Jack a shit-eating grin.

Emily says, “Are we going to start baking, then?”

“Only if Ben and Jack stay away from the dough,” Sammy says. “They’re going to steal it.”

Jack looks offended. “Words can hurt, Shotgun.” Sammy shoves him.

“What the fuck is going on,” Lily says blearily, rubbing their eyes. “It’s too early to be hearing your sweet, sweet voice, _Shotgun_.”

“Morning to you too, sunshine,” Sammy says sarcastically.

Ben says, “We’re making cookies!”

Lily looks up at them, their face deadpan. “We’re _what_.”

“We’re making cookies! Go get dressed, so we can start!” Emily gives them a thumbs up. Lily blinks slowly.

“This house is a fucking nightmare.”

* * *

“Jack, what the _fuck_.”

Ben stares at Jack, who is covered in pink icing. Like, _covered_ in it, shoulders up. In his hands is a little container that Ben assumes once held said icing, but it’s certainly not there anymore. Jack looks like he’s torn between being horrified and laughing out loud.

Lily looks over from where she’s icing a sleigh cookie red, eyes wide. “What the hell?” she says loudly, drawing everyone’s attention to Jack, who at this point has started laughing.

“I was just trying to get it open,” Jack says, shaking with laughter, “and the icing was stuck and wasn’t coming out of the tube, so I held it up to see what the problem was, and it just. Exploded?”

Sammy puts the tray of dough down and puts his head in his hands. “Jack,” he says, “why wouldn’t you just grab a knife to cut it open? Instead of fucking murdering the tube of icing?”

Jack wipes icing from his eyelids. Ben says, “Well, I guess we’re not making any pink cookies,” and Jack starts laughing again. Emily grabs a towel from the cupboard and hands it to him, and she has a piece of dough on her cheek and flour in her hair, but no one mentions it, because they love her too much. Ben has flour in _his_ hair, which doesn’t make sense considering he was banned from cooking, but whatever.

Lily says, “Maybe if you hadn’t started going to the gym again, you fucking jock, this wouldn’t have happened.”

Jack flips her off. Ben says, “Hey, I think his muscles look great,” and he pats Jack’s chest fondly. Jack grins.

Sammy flicks him on the side of the head and says, “Don’t objectify my fiancé, gremlin.” Ben sticks his tongue out in reply.

“Sammy, move, I’m taking the cookies out of the oven,” Emily says, not bothering to stop her boyfriend from feeling up Jack. Sammy moves out of her way, and pokes at Jack’s head.

“You’ve got icing in your _hair_ ,” he says. “Jesus Christ.”

Jack shrugs. “I think pink’s a good look on me,” he says.

“Yeah, _Sammy_ ,” Ben agrees, “pink’s a good look on him.” 

“Why are you determined to be a homewrecker, Benjamin,” Sammy replies.

Ben indignantly corrects him with a “ _Ben_ ,” and then Jack leans over and kisses Sammy on the cheek, which would be sweet if he wasn’t still covered in icing. Sammy pushes his face away, but it’s too late, and now he and Jack are matching. Lily quite literally points and laughs at them. Jack smiles innocently.

“Goddamnit, Wright,” Sammy says, and steals the towel from his hands and tries to wipe off what’s on his face. “You’re a menace.”

“Well, if _you_ don’t want my _love_ , I guess I’ll give to Ben,” Jack replies brightly, and leans down to kiss _Ben_ on the cheek, who laughs and blushes. Emily pushes a button on the oven so it beeps and then leans back against the counter, watching… whatever this is go down. 

Sammy sighs dramatically, and gently pulls Jack away from Ben and moves so he’s standing between them. “Jack,” he says, “I think you should probably go take a shower so your hair doesn’t get sticky.”

“I can’t believe you’re keeping us away from each other,” Ben laments.

“Forbidden love,” Jack sighs dramatically. Sammy swats him with the towel, and he throws his hands up in surrender. He goes to walk out, and Ben blows him a kiss as he leaves. 

“Jesus Christ,” Sammy says. “Why do you do this to me.”

“You never should have introduced them, Shotgun,” Lily says. She points at Sammy and Emily. “One day, they’re going to leave you two for each other.” 

Emily shrugs. “They won’t make it two weeks. Have you _seen_ how they cook?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Ben says, and he wipes some of Jack’s icing from his cheek. “We both have burned ramen before. _Whatever_. I think we would have a very fulfilling relationship.”

“You’re such a hypocrite,” Sammy says, and he picks up Jack’s destroyed icing container and throws it at the trash can. He misses. “You know, whenever Lily does this with Emily, you lose it!”

“That’s a different story entirely!” Ben argues.

“How?!”

Ben makes a noise that’s halfway to just yelling. “It’s just… different!”

“You can say that I’m hotter than you, Benny, and you’re worried that Emily will actually leave you,” Lily says. “It’s okay. You can admit it.”

Ben flips her off, his whole face scrunched up. Emily’s laughing, and she pats his shoulder reassuringly. Ben scoffs, and leans forward until his forehead is on Emily’s chest. “I don’t really love Jack,” he says in a high pitched voice, almost whining. Emily pats his head, shaking with laughter.

“It’s okay,” she reassures him delightedly. “I don’t think Jack’s in love with you either, sweetheart.”

“You know, you’re all supposed to be icing cookies,” Lily says. She gestures to her small mountain of colorful holiday cookies. “Instead of…” She gestures to the sight of Ben and Emily and Sammy, all covered in at least a little bit of pink icing.

Sammy rolls his eyes. “I can’t _wait_ to move out,” he says.

* * *

“Where to first?” Sammy asks, putting the car into reverse and pulling out of his spot. Ben checks his phone. 

“I think we decided we’re going to Troy’s first,” Ben says, mouth full. He swallows. “Damn, we’re good cooks. These are delicious.”

“ _I_ am a good baker,” Emily corrects from the backseat. “Sammy is fine at using a cookie cutter. You three-” she points at Jack and Lily, sitting on either side of her, and then Ben, sitting in the passenger seat- “are _average_ at icing cookies.”

“Is Jack _really_ average at icing, though?” Lily says. “I mean, we all remember how badly he-”

Jack slaps a hand over her mouth, reaching over Emily. Lily licks his palm. Jack doesn’t even flinch.

“And shouldn’t you not be eating the cookies we made for everyone?” Sammy asks, nodding to Ben. Ben slowly puts the lid back on the box. Sammy nods in satisfaction.

“So, Troy’s?” Lily asks. 

“Troy’s,” Sammy agrees, and pulls out of the parking lot.

“I still can’t believe Ben gets shotgun over me,” Jack complains, and Sammy looks back at him in concern until he realizes what kind of ‘shotgun’ he meant. 

Lily says, “I can’t believe he doesn’t need a booster seat, honestly.”

“Oh, fuck you,” Ben calls to the backseat. “I am a grown man. I don’t need a booster seat.”

“Are grown men normally five foot two?” Lily asks. 

“I am five foot _four and a half_ ,” Ben replies, voice steadily increasing in pitch.

Emily makes a non-committal noise. Ben looks back at her with betrayal. “Sorry, Benny,” she says sweetly, “but I can’t lie about it!”

Ben groans, and Sammy laughs. “Whatever,” Ben says. “I’m still the one in the front seat, so.”

“I can’t believe you let him steal my seat,” Jack says.

“It wasn’t my choice,” Sammy replies. “I don’t think Ben should be allowed anywhere near the cookies, but-”

“Is this just hating-on-Ben-Arnold day?” Ben shrieks, and Lily puts her fingers in her ears. “You all need to just- to just stop!”

“Just stop, huh?” Lily says, and Emily smacks her arm.

“Leave him alone, Lils,” Emily chides. “He’s doing his best!”

“Don’t get him too excited, because he had a monster earlier today, and he might have a heart attack,” Sammy dad-voice _s_. 

Lily says, “Okay, _Dad_.”

“Will you shut up and drive, Stevens?” Jack cuts in. 

“Yeah, Stevens, we don’t have all night.” Lily agrees.

Sammy rolls his eyes, and at the next turn, he doesn’t even hit the brake, making Jack and Emily fall right on top of Lily, who says, “ _fuck_!” emphatically. Ben’s head slams into the passenger side window.

“What?” Sammy says innocently. “You said to drive faster.”

“Fuck you,” Lily replies. “Get fucked, Stevens.”

* * *

“You have got to be kidding me.”

Ben gives Sammy a questioning face. “What?” he asks around his piece of toast.

“You’re gonna wear that to Troy’s? I bought that as a _joke,_ Ben.” Sammy sighs, rubbing his face.

Ben shrugs. “What’s a joke?” Jack asks as he walks into the kitchen.

“Oh my god. Jack.”

“Yes, dear?”

“Why,” Sammy whispers.

“I don’t know what you’re referring to, darling dearest.”

Sammy puts his face in his hands. “Guys.”

Jack puts his arm around Sammy’s shoulders and pokes his side. “Don’t be a pussy, Stevens. You bought these!”

“Yeah, but it was a _joke_ -”

“What’s going on?” Lily asks, shoving Jack out of the doorway so they can also get into the kitchen. Sammy audibly groans. “Oh,” she says, “oh, did Shotgun notice?”

“What does _that_ mean?” Sammy asks indignantly. 

“I don’t know, you have the observance of a rock, sometimes!”

“Fuck you, Wright.”

“I mean, if you’re offering—”

“Not you, Jack, goddamnit—”

“What’s going on?” Emily asks. Her hair is getting longer, and she has it tied back in a little ponytail. Sammy sighs, loudly. Emily smiles at him. Ben pauses from his hysterical laughing to nod respectfully at her outfit.

“I hate all of you,” Sammy says. “I do. I really do.”

“Look, it’s not your fault that you bought us all matching outfits and then didn’t get yourself one, Stevens,” Lily says. 

Ben shrugs. “It’s not your fault that you’re cis, I guess.”

Jack bursts into laughter, and the rest of them follow, and Sammy still has his head in his hands. Lily takes a hair tie off their wrist and uses it to pull their shirt tight. Their new shirt, the one Sammy got them, the one that matches with Jack, Ben, and Emily’s.

Jack pats Sammy on the back. “It was a good gift! At least we’re getting use out of them.”

“To _Troy’s holiday party_. That _all of our friends will be at_.”

Emily shrugs. “I think it’s a fashion statement!”

“Yeah!” Lily agrees. “They all should know. Down with cis!”

Down With Cis, aka what the shirts have written on them in a shitty font. They each have a different color, but they have the same black writing on the front. Sammy thought it would be a funny present.

He seems to very much regret it, now.

“You guys…” Sammy trails off, not really knowing what else to say. “You’re really… you’re really going to wear those stupid shirts-”

“Yes,” Ben says. “It’s a gift! I want you to know we appreciate them!”

Jack pats Sammy on the back. “I’m sure Troy will love them. Don’t worry about it!”

Sammy sighs. “Who’s idea even was this?”

Everyone slowly turns to look at Lily, who’s grinning smugly.

“What can I say?” Lily winks. “I’m a genius.”

**Author's Note:**

> thx for reading! pls leave comments and kudos, and come talk to us on twitter, jules @lcvelaces and ferris @THINKFVST!!


End file.
